West Pittston Library’s Youth Services Coordinator Summer Belles
WEST PITTSTON – Local libraries have been closed since mid-March to do the coronavirus pandemic, but with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s relaxing restrictions with Luzerne County in the yellow phase, libraries have restarted limited services.
West Pittston Library began a Porch Pickup program on Monday, June 8, from Monday through Thursdays: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. were members can reserve books that can be picked up at the library porch entrance.
Members must call to reserve up to five books, movies or other items available and schedule a pick up. Returns must be placed in the outdoor drop off box.
“We’re under the state library system and they came out with guidelines on how to reopen safely,” David Bauman, West Pittston Library director, said. “There is a lot to do to reopen and we decided to do it in stages.”
Bauman said safeguards have been ordered that will be put into place such as sneeze guards that would eventually allow members and guests to enter the building.
“Instead of hitting a switch and reopening, we’re turning the dial slowly step-by-step return all the services, so we started the Porch Pick up,” Bauman said. “We’re asking people to call the library at 570-654-9847 during our new hours to order an item.”
Bauman said items returned to the West Pittston Library will be quarantined for 72-hours before being able to be taken out once again.
“Once an item is ordered and a pick-up has been scheduled, we will leave the items on the porch for pick up every 15-minutes so there won’t be any contact between anyone pick up items,” Bauman added. “We ask when you bring something back to place it in the book drop. We empty it daily and we put it at a designated spot with a day and date when it arrived back and we quarantine it for the 72-hours.”
According to Bauman, the library is limited to only checking out items currently in-house. The Luzerne Co. Library System has not restarted services but should be restarting in a few weeks.
Shutdown since mid-March, Bauman filed and received government relief funds allowing the staff to be paid during an eight-week period.
“It’s helped us to keep our employees on but obviously the budget is still tight,” Bauman said. “What we did do is put all of our programs that we normally did live and put them online. I’m so proud of the staff on doing an excellent job. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do more online programming then the West Pittston Library.”
Bauman noted the library will be holding registration for the July summer reading program from June 15 to June 30.
During the shutdown, the library was able to establish an e-newsletter that was sent out updating events for the month of June. The e-newsletter can be found on the library’s website at www.wplibrary.org.
The Wyoming Free Library has established curbside services Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To reserve an item, call the library at 570-693-1364.
Pittston Memorial Library is in the process of restarting services, but details have no been finalized at press time. Call the library for further information at 570-654-9565.
